With a $25,000 Challenge Donation, AgStar Supports the American Red Cross’ Response to the Southern Minnesota Floods
AgStar challenges other corporations to give
Mankato, Minn. (September 29, 2010) – Today, the AgStar Fund for Rural America, AgStar Financial Services corporate giving program, presented $25,000 to the American Red Cross in response to the Southern Minnesota floods. This financial support enables the American Red Cross to pre-position supplies and rush disaster relief services to communities affected by the recent floods. AgStar challenges other organizations and corporations to match their donation to help those most directly affected by this disaster.
When disaster strikes, the Red Cross mobilizes volunteers and supplies into affected areas to shelter, feed and provide emotional support to disaster victims and emergency personnel.
“Thanks to the generosity of AgStar, the Red Cross is able to mobilize supplies and staff to provide help to people and communities in need,” said Melanie Tschida at the American Red Cross. “These contributions, along with the support of the American public, are critical during floods and similar disasters because they enable the Red Cross to rush immediate relief to disaster victims before the first donation has been given.”
“Once again nature wreaked havoc in our service area, and AgStar wants to be there for our clients and communities in need,” said AgStar President and CEO Paul DeBriyn. “The implications of this storm are very far reaching. The flooding closed schools, washed out roads, flooded dozens of basements and strained municipal sewer systems. It’s going to take a lot of resources and labor to put the pieces back in place. We’re hopeful that our donation and challenge will help expedite the rebuilding process.”
According to DeBriyn, partnering with the Red Cross puts more power in AgStar’s philanthropic punch. “The Red Cross is the first on-site to assist during disasters. They have staff and volunteers in place in all affected communities, as well as, a tested process in place to identify the greatest need and distribute the funds where they will benefit the most people. Our rural communities were significantly impacted by the recent rain and providing financial assistance to the Red Cross allows them to continue to serve these communities during this crisis.”
Homes in sixteen southern Minnesota counties have been affected by this flooding, including Blue Earth, Cottonwood, Dodge, Faribault, Freeborn, Goodhue, Le Sueur, Martin, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Sibley, Steele, Wabasha, Waseca, and Watonwan. The cities of Hammond, New Richland, Pine Island, Oronoco, Owatonna, and Zumbro Falls sustained the heaviest damage, with some people evacuated in the middle of the night and many residents still unable to return to their homes until the water recedes. Preliminary damage estimates are that more than 4,784 dwellings were affected across the region. Of those, at least 59 were destroyed, rendering them permanently uninhabitable. More than 290 suffered major damage, meaning that extensive repairs are needed to make the home habitable. More than 500 received minor damage, requiring minor repairs or cleaning to be made habitable and nearly 4,000 sustained slight damage in the storm. As the water recedes and more areas become accessible, the Red Cross anticipates those numbers to increase.
Individuals can join forces with companies and help provide food, shelter, emotional support and other assistance to the victims of thousands of disasters across the country each year, disasters like the Southern Minnesota floods, either by going to www.redcross.org or calling 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make a donation.
About AgStar:
AgStar Financial Services, ACA, headquartered in Mankato, Minn., employs nearly 600 full-time team members. The company is part of the national Farm Credit System and has a public mission to serve 69 counties in Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin. The company has expertise in the corn, soybean, swine, dairy and bio-energy industries. AgStar has developed successful programs in loans, leases, crop insurance, tax services, accounting, consulting and rural home mortgages. As a value-added financial services cooperative, AgStar allocates patronage dividends to its 13,000 stockholders. Visit www.AgStar.com for more information.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; provides nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.
Contact: Heather Leiferman
Heather.Leiferman@AgStar.com
507-529-2087
Contact: Melanie Tschida, American Red Cross
melanie@redcross-semn.org
507-287-2254
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